BRPI0906633B1 - capsule with integrated antimicrobial filter - Google Patents

Description

(54) Title: CAPSULE WITH INTEGRATED ANTIMICROBIAL FILTER (51) Int.CI .: A61L 2/02; B65D 85/804; A47J 31/40; A47J 31/36; A47J 31/44; A23L 2/39; A23L 33/00 (30) Unionist Priority: 24/01/2008 EP 08 100900.3 (73) Holder (s): NESTEC S.A.

(72) Inventor (s): YANN EPARS; MATTHEWDAVID STEVEN; ANNE ROULIN (85) National Phase Start Date: 07/26/2010

Descriptive Report of the Invention Patent for CAPSULE WITH INTEGRATED ANTIMICROBIAL FILTER.

Infant formulas were developed as a substitute for breast milk in order to provide the necessary nutrients for children. In general, infant formulas are based on cow or soy milk and can be provided in different forms, such as in powder or concentrated liquid form.

Each of the different ways in which infant formulas can be provided has its own advantages. For example, although the infant formula provided in a powdered form has a high nutritionally relative quality, its preparation is long, since the water used for reconstitution needs to be boiled in advance and needs to cool, then be poured into a container of sterile drink containing the powder in order to prepare a liquid infant formula ready for feeding.

If prepared and consumed in this way, powdered infant formulas provide a safe and nutritionally good substitute for breast milk in the situations described above. However, the process needs to be repeated every time a feed is needed. It is easily observed that this may not always be convenient and, as a consequence, many parents and other caregivers do not prepare the formulas properly and thereby expose the child to the risk of infection. For example, the water may not be boiled before use, in which case some pathogens in the water are ingested by the baby.

Generally, water sources in developed countries are reasonably safe, but this may not be the case everywhere. Alternatively, batches of the infant formula can be prepared and then stored until needed. Unfortunately, if any pathogen has contaminated the formula, it then has time to duplicate itself.

In further development, infant formulas in single serving sizes ready for feeding have been introduced, which overcome the inconvenience of preparing infant formula. However, these ready-to-eat products are more expensive than infant formulas stored in batches and there is the same need to consume the formula immediately after opening to avoid the risk of contamination by bacteria.

The immune defenses of children and babies are generally not fully developed and, as a result, these populations are particularly vulnerable to both bacterial and viral infections. For example, they may be prone to infections in circumstances where a healthy adult's immune system would resist infection or they may suffer more serious consequences as a result of the infection than a healthy adult would suffer. Similar difficulties can arise in populations where the immune system is compromised, such as the elderly. The consequence of this is that devices that prepare nutritional compositions that are perfectly safe for healthy adults may not be able to produce products that meet the increased safety standards required for products that will be consumed by individuals having immature or compromised immune systems.

Therefore, there is a need for a method or an apparatus that makes it possible to provide nutritional composition, for example, an infant formula in a convenient and safe way.

W02006 / 077259 describes a method for the preparation of a single portion of a nutritional composition comprising the introduction of liquid, such as water, into a cartridge containing a unit dose of the composition in concentrated form. In this way, the water is treated before introduction into the cartridge in order to remove pathogens from the water. This treatment can be, for example, preheating, filtering or irradiating the water with ultraviolet light.

A device that teaches the principle of water treatment by means of a filter used for the preparation of nutritional compositions in a capsule dispenser is described in copending European patent application No. 06117801.8, filed on July 25, 2006, entitled Dispenser for preparing a nutritional composition.

In addition, although care is taken to minimize contamination of powdered infant formulas by unwanted bacteria, it is difficult to guarantee the injection of sterile liquid, for example, boiled water, into the capsule in an easy and practical way. For example, the liquid can be sterilized by a heating operation on the device, but this requires a cooling stage to a controlled temperature, for example, around 35 degrees, to suit the baby. With this, the preparation time is significantly extended or the liquid needs to be sterilized in advance. Therefore, this adds a level of complexity and additional controls to the device. The use of UV light on the device also adds complexity, controls and requires regular maintenance.

Furthermore, certain nutritional formulas could provide substrates for bacterial growth. Therefore, prolonged periods of storage, particularly at elevated temperatures, would increase the amount of bacteria present.

In general, it is also known to use a filter in a capsule that contains coffee ingredients to filter a liquid coffee extract and to keep coffee solids in the capsule. For example, EP0507905B1 refers to an apparatus and capsule for the preparation of a liquid product. An internal filtration membrane is placed at the bottom of the cartridge to retain solid particles in the cartridge and to prevent clogging of the flow channels provided in the drilling elements.

Systems and methods for obtaining edible fluids from substances containing isolated capsules are, for example, known from EP-A512470 (counterpart of US 5,402,707).

However, such filters in capsules for ground coffee particles generally have pore sizes greater than 10pm, whose pore size is adapted to typical ground coffee dimensions and where such (large) pore sizes are deemed necessary in order to to ensure a sufficient flow rate of the drink. In this way, these filters are not capable of detecting microorganisms that typically have dimensions in the order of several pm (bacteria) or even much less (viruses).

US5681468 refers to a liquid dispenser for serving sterile liquids comprising a container for storing sterile liquid, a nozzle assembly mounted on the container and a filter having at least one surface and a plurality of its pores coated with metallic material, for example example, a metal or metal oxide or metal salt, which is bacteriostatic or bactericidal. However, such a device is a multiple dose device and is designed for repeated uses. The coating reduces microbial growth and direct growth in the filter. Furthermore, bactericidal materials of metallic origin are undesirable as they can be released into the final drink in uncontrolled quantities. In addition, the liquid is passed through the device at relatively low pressure by hand tightening the container.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to propose a technique to improve the microbiological safety of nutritive liquids produced from ingredients contained in a single-use capsule, that is, by feeding a liquid into the capsule.

This is a particularly important aspect in the case of the liquid introduced in the capsule for mixing with the ingredients and / or the nutritious ingredients, such as, for example, ingredients of infant formula, in the capsule are not perfectly sterile.

This objective is achieved through aspects of the independent claims. The dependent claims further develop the central idea of the present invention.

A first aspect of the invention relates to a capsule for single use in a beverage production device. The capsule contains one or more ingredients for the production of a drink or edible liquid when a liquid is introduced into the capsule. The capsule is provided with an antimicrobial filter placed through the flow path of the liquid that passes through the capsule. The antimicrobial filter is also placed between the entrance face and the exit face of the capsule and, preferably, at a certain internal distance from the entrance face. As a result, it is ensured that the liquid introduced into the capsule is inevitably passed through the filter whether or not it is mixed with the ingredients contained in the capsule. The distance from the inlet filter also ensures that the risk of accidentally or voluntarily damaging the filter such as by opening the face of the capsule (while still being able to use the capsule in the device) is considerably reduced. In addition, the filter is also placed inwardly away from the outlet face.

In one way, the antimicrobial filter is placed between an outlet face of the capsule and the ingredients prone to bacterial contamination.

In another way, the antimicrobial filter is placed in the capsule between the entrance face and the ingredients.

The filter may have a nominal pore size of 1 pm or less, more preferred 0.5pm or less, more preferred 0.2pm.

Ingredients prone to bacterial contamination may comprise powdered milk and / or other components of infant formula.

The antimicrobial filter can be arranged in an outlet opening of the capsule.

The antimicrobial filter may comprise a porous polymer membrane. The material for the membrane can be chosen from the list of: PES (polyethersulfone), cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, polyamide and combinations thereof.

Additionally or alternatively, the antimicrobial filter comprises a layer of paper.

Ingredients can be disposed between the antimicrobial filter and the exit face of the capsule.

Alternatively, the antimicrobial filter can be arranged between the inlet face and the ingredients.

The antimicrobial filter can be attached to the side wall of the capsule.

The antimicrobial filter can be supported by at least one reinforcement wall that can be placed adjacent to the filter. The reinforcement wall is more rigid than the filter. The reinforcement wall ensures that the filter does not break, puncture or otherwise damage under the effect of the liquid under the high pressure in the capsule (for example, possibly between 0.2-1 MPa) and / or by the jet created by ( s) stream (s) of liquid entering the capsule at high speed. At least one reinforcement element is placed adjacent and downstream of the filter. A second reinforcement element can be placed upstream and adjacent to the filter.

The antimicrobial filter is free of bacteriostatic or bactericidal material.

The edge of the antimicrobial filter can be sealed against the capsule wall.

When the antimicrobial filter is placed between the bottom of the capsule and the ingredients, the antimicrobial filter can be moved away from the bottom of the capsule. Alternatively, the antimicrobial filter may be at least partially in contact with the bottom of the capsule. The antimicrobial filter can also be at least partially sealed at the bottom of the capsule.

The antimicrobial filter can be attached externally to the capsule such as at the bottom of the capsule or at the top of the capsule.

The antimicrobial filter, when viewed from the entry face of the capsule, can extend completely over the entire interior of the capsule.

The antimicrobial filter can extend, when seen from the entrance face of the capsule, only partially over the entire interior of the capsule.

In a possible way, the antimicrobial filter can also be arranged in an outlet opening of the capsule.

When the antimicrobial filter is placed between the top of the capsule and the ingredients, the antimicrobial filter may be spaced from the top of the capsule. In particular, a certain distance, such as 0.5-1.5 cm, makes it possible to produce a gap sufficient to insert an injection device such as needles, blades and the like in the capsule, without the risk of damaging the filter.

The filter can be formed of at least one thin porous polymeric membrane.

The antimicrobial filter may have a thickness of less than 500pm, preferably less than 300pm.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a beverage production system, which comprises a capsule according to any of the preceding claims and a beverage production machine.

The machine can be supplied with

- camera feature to house and support the capsule and

- feature to supply a liquid to the capsule and optionally a gas (such as compressed air, nitrogen) to completely empty the capsule.

The beverage production machine may further comprise:

- feature to open an entry side of the capsule such as a perforating feature.

The beverage production machine can be designed such that the beverage produced in the capsule can be obtained from the capsule without the beverage coming into contact with a part of the beverage production machine. For example, the machine comprises a capsule holder that comprises a lower opening of section large enough to fully discover the capsule outlet.

A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for reducing the microbial load in a nutrient liquid obtained by

- feeding a liquid into a capsule containing an ingredient,

- let the ingredients interact with the liquid, the nutritive liquid obtained being filtered through an antimicrobial filter that is part of the capsule and that is placed inside or fixed outside the capsule.

Additional aspects, advantages and objectives of the present invention will become evident when reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 shows an example of a capsule according to the present invention.

Figure 2 schematically shows a capsule having an antimicrobial filter in an outlet opening of the capsule and

Figure 3 schematically shows a capsule having an antimicrobial filter in the main shell of the capsule.

Figure 4 schematically shows a capsule having an antimicrobial filter in the main shell of the capsule between the entrance face and the ingredients.

In general, the present invention proposes to integrate an antimicrobial filter in a capsule containing the ingredient.

The term antimicrobial filter indicates a filter that, through a mechanical filtering action, reduces the number of micro-organisms, such as, for example, bacteria, on the downstream side of the filter.

The invention relates, in general, to capsules containing beverage or food ingredients and is particularly adapted for capsules containing infant formula ingredients such as, for example, milk based powder. Preferably, such capsules according to the present invention are sealed at the production site after they have been squirted, preferably by a protective gas, such as nitrogen, and are opened after they have been placed in an associated production machine. drink or edible liquid. Preferably, the opening of the capsules is not done manually, but by a part of the associated beverage production machine and / or an internal mechanism of the capsule. This opening technique reduces the risk of contamination inside the capsule.

The capsule will be supplied manually or in an automated mode to a chamber of the beverage production machine. The capsule is held in a defined position in the chamber. The supply of liquid into the capsule and the flow of the liquid from the capsule are generally carried out while the capsule remains fixed in the chamber.

The production of the nutritive liquid can be based on a wide range of liquid / ingredient interaction principles, such as, for example, dissolution, dilution, brewing, extraction, mixing, suspension etc. Dissolution, dilution and suspension are preferred in infant formulas being present as concentrated powder, flake or liquid ingredients within the capsule.

Preferably, the capsules will be opened at their entrance face by an associated means of opening or drilling the machine. On the other hand, on the outlet face of the capsules, an opening or perforation can be produced by an integrated opening / perforation feature of the capsule or by an associated opening / perforation feature being part of the beverage production machine.

A particular opening mechanism may be to force a face of the capsule to be opened against the integrated or external perforation / opening feature by a pressure created inside the capsule. This pressure formation can be caused by the injection of a liquid, such as water, through the entrance face of the capsule into the capsule.

Another way could also be to open the capsule through a septum or valve that opens as a result of pressure buildup in the capsule or by using a propellant inserted into the capsule to open the flow path through the septum or valve.

Preferably, the integrated perforation / opening mechanism is used, which will be explained through the modality of figure 1. This internal mechanism is particularly used for so-called direct flow capsules, in which the produced liquid can be obtained (that is, released ) of the capsule without the liquid produced to contact parts of the beverage production machine. This obviously reduces the risk of contamination of the drink after it was produced in the capsule through an interaction between the injected liquid and the ingredients contained in the capsule.

A closed capsule with integrated opening feature is generally known, for example, from EP 1472156 B1 and will now be briefly explained with reference to figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a capsule 9 comprising a cup-shaped base body 10, which is stable and, for example, made of plastic, and the membrane 11 welded on the peripheral welding edge 13 that forms the periphery of said cup-shaped base body 10. The membrane 11 can be made, for example, from a compressed or metallic sheet. The reference numeral 12 indicates, in general, the ingredients. The system for opening the capsule according to this modality consists of a disc 14 arranged at the bottom of the base body in the shape of a cup 10 and comprises a perforating element 15. The perforating element 15 is closed in the chamber formed by the shaped base body. cup 10 and the support membrane 11. The disc is thus arranged at the bottom of the cup and thus forms a wider area over which the internal pressure can be spread during extraction. At the time of extraction, the capsule is introduced into the beverage production machine, water is introduced through a needle that pierces the membrane 11 and, under the effect of the elevation and pressure in the capsule 9, the disc 14 experiences a downward thrust force for the retention part 16, such that the piercing element 15 opens the retention part 16 of the cup-shaped base body 10, thus allowing the beverage produced inside the capsule 9 to be drained.

Reference numeral 1 in figure 1 indicates an antimicrobial filter according to the present invention.

As can be seen in figure 1, this filter is disposed between at least part of the ingredients 12 and the outlet opening 16 of the capsule 9.

Preferably, the antimicrobial filter may have a nominal pore size of 1 pm or less, more preferred 0.5 pm or less, such as, for example, 0.2 pm.

Preferably, filter 1 comprises at least one porous filtering membrane which is sometimes also called microporous filter. For example, the filter can be made of thin layers of polymer and can have a thickness of less than 500 pm, preferably 10 to 300 pm.

Preferably, the antimicrobial filter 1 has a high porosity (for example, up to 70-90% of the total filter) in order not to unduly impede the flow of liquid through the filter 1.

In addition, the filter can be provided (for example, coated) with a food-grade antimicrobial agent (for example, essential oils) killing microbes when the drink passes through the filter 1.

Antimicrobial filter 1 can preferably be used in conjunction with a capsule containing powdered milk and / or other components of infant formula.

With reference to figures 2 and 3, now additional embodiments of the invention will be explained. The arrow indicated with the numeral 3 represents the current that arrives from a liquid, such as, for example, water on the inlet side (upper side) of the capsule 9. Reference 17 indicates a resource to pierce the inlet face of the capsule and supply a liquid, which can be, for example, a pressurized hot liquid, preferably water.

In the embodiment of figure 2, the antimicrobial filter 1 is arranged in an outlet tube 4 of the capsule 9. In that case, there can be only one main component 5 in the capsule at least partially filled with the beverage ingredients.

The pressure of the injected liquid 3 is sufficient to force the drink produced by the interaction of the liquid 3 with the ingredients in compartment 5 through the filter 1. Any liquid remaining in the capsule can be easily discharged by pushing the compressed air into the capsule. in order to guarantee a nutritionally complete drink.

As shown in figures 2 and 3, the liquid produced can then flow directly (for example, fall) into a bottle 2 placed under the outlet face of the capsule 9.

In the embodiment of figure 3, the antimicrobial filter 1 is arranged such that between the outlet tube 4 of the capsule 9 and the main compartment 5 for the ingredients, a second compartment 6 is present. If necessary, this second compartment 6 can also be at least partially filled with ingredients and especially with ingredients that are not or are less prone to bactericidal contamination compared to the ingredients in compartment 5.

The antimicrobial filter 1 in the embodiment of figure 3 completely passes through the interior of the capsule 9, while the antimicrobial filter 1 in the embodiment of figure 2 extends only partially over the transverse surface (when seen from above) of the interior of the capsule 9.

In the embodiment of figure 3, the antimicrobial filter is spaced from the bottom 20 of the capsule 9. In this case, it is preferable to have a reinforcement wall to support the filter membrane and prevent it from tearing under the pressure of the liquid in the capsule. A reinforcement wall can be a plastic or metal grid, for example, placed below the filter membrane. It is to be noted that the antimicrobial filter 1 can also be placed on the bottom 20 of the capsule 9 and can completely or partially cover the bottom 20. The antimicrobial filter 1 can be sealed on the bottom 20 over its entire surface or only partially, such as, for example, in its border portion.

Note that the antimicrobial filter 1 can also be attached to the outside of the capsule 9 and preferably to the outer face of the bottom of the capsule 20.

The antimicrobial filter 1 is attached (for example, sealed at 19) to the inner surface of the side walls 18 of the capsule 9. The seal 19 can be made, for example, by ultrasonic welding, gluing, pressure adjustment etc. The seal ensures that no drink can flow between a potential gap between the filter 1 and the inner surface of the capsule 9 walls, thereby creating a diversion into the unfiltered liquid.

As is evident from Figure 3, any ingredient housed in the second compartment 6, that is, downstream of the filter 1, will not be filtered and will then reach the receptacle (bottle) 2 without filtration.

Recently, certain strains of bacteria have attracted considerable attention because they have been found to exhibit valuable properties for humans if ingested. In particular, it was found that specific strains of the genera Lactobacillo and Bifidobacteria are able to colonize the intestinal mucosa, reduce the ability of pathogenic bacteria to adhere to the intestinal epithelium, have immunomodulatory effects and assist in maintaining well-being. Such bacteria are sometimes called probiotics.

It has been proposed to add probiotics to infant formulas to encourage colonization of the intestine and to encourage colonization with good bacteria - species of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillo - rather than harmful bacteria - pathogens such as clostridia etc. Typically, a minimum of 10e7cfu / g of the formula is added, although generally larger amounts are preferred, for example, up to 10e12 cfu / g of the formula. However, since probiotics are bacteria or other microorganisms, it will be found that a microbial filter of the type proposed in the present invention will retain them just as efficiently as pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, if it is desired that the infant formula in the capsule of the present invention contains probiotics, special provision will have to be made to ensure that the probiotics are transferred to the bottle with the reconstituted formula. For example, probiotic microorganisms can be provided in the second compartment 6. Filter 1 will not stop the probiotics in the main compartment 5.

Figure 4 illustrates another embodiment in which the antimicrobial filter is positioned between the inlet face 8 and the ingredients housed in compartment 5. Such ingredients may comprise an infant formula in the form of a powder or liquid concentrate. The formula can include probiotics in dry form, eventually encapsulated to be physically protected against the other ingredients. The filter is separated from the inlet face 8 by a certain gap sufficient to allow the introduction of an injection feature 17 such as a liquid injection needle. The filter can, for example, be fixed, for example, sealed, in a stepped portion 21 of the capsule. At the bottom of the capsule, a membrane can be provided which can be torn or perforated 16 and opening feature such as a plate or perforation disk 14 placed between the bottom 20 or outlet 4 of the capsule and the support membrane 16. The membrane can be sealed over a second lower staggered portion 22 of the capsule. Naturally, the perforation plate could be made integral with the bottom of the capsule. In this embodiment, the filter 1 can be further supported by a reinforcement element (not shown) placed between the ingredient and the filter. The inlet face 8 can be made of flexible material that can be perforated such as aluminum and / or plastic.

Claims (2)

1/3 O LL · 1. Capsule for use in a beverage production device, the capsule containing ingredients for the production of a nutritious liquid when a liquid is fed into the capsule (9) on an entrance face (8) of the same, the capsule (9) being characterized by comprising an entrance face (8) and an exit face (7); an antimicrobial filter (1) comprising at least one microporous polymer membrane free of bacteriostatic or bactericidal material and supported by a support member; 10 a main compartment containing at least a portion of ingredients to produce a nutritional liquid, the ingredient portion (12) in the main compartment comprising milk-based powder, and the antimicrobial filter (1) is placed between the outlet face (7 ) and the portion of the ingredients in the main compartment and away from the exit face; and 15 a second compartment (6) between the antimicrobial filter and the outlet face, the second compartment comprising probiotic microorganisms. 2. Capsule according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the antimicrobial filter (1) has a nominal pore size of 1 20 pm or less. 3. Capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the antimicrobial filter (1) is attached to the side wall (18) of the capsule (9). Capsule according to any one of the preceding claims 25, characterized in that the outlet face is a closed outlet face and the capsule further comprises an internal opening mechanism (15) configured to open the outlet face ( 7) of the capsule (9) when pressure is created inside the capsule (9) by the injection (17) of a liquid (3) in an inlet face (8) of the capsule (9). 5. Capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the antimicrobial filter (1) has a thickness of less than 500pm. Petition 870180057367, of 7/3/2018, p. 7/13 6. Beverage production system, characterized in that it comprises a capsule (9) as defined in any of the preceding claims, and a beverage production machine having: 5 - resource for housing the capsule (9), and - resource (17) to supply a liquid (3) to the capsule (9). 7. System, according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the beverage production machine comprises, in addition: - feature (17) to open an entry face ( 8) of the capsule (9). 8. System according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by the fact that the beverage production machine is designed such that the beverage produced in the capsule (9) can be obtained from the capsule (9) without the beverage coming into contact with contact with a part of the beverage production machine. 9. Method to reduce the microbial load in a nutritive liquid, characterized by the fact that it comprises: - feeding a liquid into a capsule containing an ingredient on an inlet face thereof, the capsule comprising (i) an antimicrobial filter (1) comprising at least one microporous polymer membrane free of bacteriostatic or bactericidal material and is 20 supported by a support member; (ii) a main compartment containing at least a portion of ingredients to produce a nutritional liquid, the ingredient portion (12) in the main compartment comprising milk-based powder, and the antimicrobial filter (1) is placed between the outlet face (7) of the capsule and the portion of the ingredients in the compartment 25, and is spaced inwardly from the exit face; and (iii) a second compartment (6) between the anitimicrobial filter and the outlet face, the second compartment comprising probiotic microorganisms. - let the ingredients in the main compartment interact with the liquid to form an unfiltered nutritional liquid, 30 - filter the unfiltered nutritional liquid by passing it through an antimicrobial filter, thus forming the filtered nutritional liquid; - combine the filtered nutritional liquid with the microorganisms Petition 870180057367, of 7/3/2018, p. 8/13 probiotics inside the second compartment (6); - dispense the filtered nutrient liquid comprising probiotic microorganisms from the outlet face. Petition 870180057367, of 7/3/2018, p. 9/13 2/3